Fluid-pressure engine.



No. 721,899; PATENTBD MAR. s, 1903. P. w. LANGHESTEB. FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

APPLICATION IIIQBD JULY 12, 1902.

ziwm THE uonms PETERS co FHOTO-LIYHQ. wasl mmnn. n. c.

No. 721,899. PATENTED MAR, a, 1903. F. W. LANGHESTER. FLUID PRESSURE ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 12, '1902. 1'10 MODEL. 2 sums-sum 2.

g e 4 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK WILLIAM LANCI-IESTER, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

FLUID-PRESSURE ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,899, dated March 3, 1903.

Application filed July 12, 1902.

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM LANOHESTER, engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 53 Hagley road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Fluid-Pressure Engines, (for which I have made application for Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 19,159, dated the 25th of September, 1901,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fluid-pressure engines,and refers especially to improvements in motive-power engines which are propelled by air or like gaseous pressure, and more particularly to engines of this type that can be alternatively used as compressors.

The invention has for its objects to provide a simple and reliable engine which may be alternatively used as a compressor or motivepower engine, and to provide valve-gear and arrangements whereby its functions either as motor or compressor are thoroughly under control and the maximum economy of working is obtained.

The invention may be briefly said to consist in improvements in valve-gear whereby the change of function from motor to pump, or vice versa, is facilitated and great economy is obtained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a sectional elevation of the improved fluidpressure engine constructed according to one modification of the invention, the section being taken on A B, Fig. 3. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the cylinder, showing the cut-off valves, the section being taken on CD, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan taken on E F, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows in elevation a controlling-lever hereinafter described. Fig. 5 illustrates in plan a detail connected with the valve mechanism.

In one mode of carrying out the invention, and as illustrated in the drawings, as applied to the valve-gear of a single-cylinder doubleacting engine a piston-valve consisting of three plates or, b c is arranged upon a valverod cl, working in a cylindrically-bored casing e. The upper and lower sides of the top and bottom plates, respectively, are open to the exhaust through ports 6 e, and the two interspaces are in constant communication with Serial No. 115,358. (No model.)

two separate pressure-ports f f. The two cylinder-comunication ports Z Z open alternatively to the pressure spaces or exhaust, according to the position of the valve, which thus controls the distribution of the working fluid in the customary manner, excepting that two independent pressure ports take the place of the common port usually employed. The two pressure-portsff communicate with the under side of two valves 9 g of the mushroom type and which communicate with a common port h,connectedjwith the pressure-reservoir. The valves 9 g are arranged to open against the pressure of the working fluid and are held to their seats by light spriugs'i'iin addition to the excess pressure. The piston-valve is operated by a crank or eccentric, and a reversing arrangement is fitted tothe motion of this valve, of a type hereinafter described. The mushroom-valves g g are operated by a tappet m, oscillated on a fulcrum nby a lever 0, which is rocked by a rod 19, which in turn is rocked by a lever 1' 0d the cross-head pin 8. The mushroom-valves are not fitted with a reversing-gear; but the motive stroke of the tappet m is arranged to be Varied, as hereinafter described, from that necessary to hold the valves permanently open to zero,when the valves will remain shut. The function of the piston-valve is to control the distribution of the working fluid passing either to or from the cylinder, and thereby either to reverse the direction of motion or when the engine is being driven by superior force to change its function from that of motor to that of pump. The function of the mushroom-valves is twofold. When the engineis acting as a motor,the mushroom-valves act to cut off the working fluid, and thereby vary the degree of expansion as may be desired, and their motion is unaffected by the direction of motion of the engines. When the engine is acting as a pump, the positive actuation of the mushroom-valves is suspended, and they then act automatically when the pressure in the cylinder rises above that in the reservoir. The suspension of actuation of the valves g g is accomplished in one convenient manner by mounting the fulcrum n of the tappet-lever m upon an eccentric plug 15, which is adapted to be rotated, as hereinafter described, to remove the fulcrum n farther away from the valve-stems, whereby the motive or effective stroke of the tappet is decreased from maximum,when the valves are fixed open, to zero when the tappet in its movement misses the valve-stems.

The operating mechanism for the variable cut-01f and reversing motions are preferably brought under the control of a single lever. This may be effected in the following manner: The operatinghandle actuates a shaft to, restricted to about three-quarters of a revolution. This shaft actuates the reversing motion through the medium of a crank m, and a sliding block 7 sliding on a lever or rod ,2, being arranged so that the whole of the reversing motion occupies the central portion of the motion of the hand-lever, the remainder of the motion in either direction being employed by means of a connecting-rod v and lever 11, attached to the eccentric plug 15, to bring the tappet m to bear on the mushroom-valve stems, and thereby increase the supply of working fluid the farther the hand-lever is pushed home toward its extreme position. This action will be understood on an inspection of Fig. 4, wherein 1 represents the controlling-lever, the notches 2 giving the different positions for the same when the motor is driving ahead and the notches 3 the positions when the motor is driving astern. The points t indicate the positions of the lever when the positive actuation of the mushroom-valves is suspended and the motor is changed to a pump, the central position (indicated by 5) throwing the motor out of action altogether.

In arranging the valve-gear to be operated in the manner hereinbefore described the piston valve is preferably actuated by a crank 6 on the motor-shaft, the motion of which is converted into a valve-motion proper by means of a pin 7, to which the valve-connecting rod 8 and a connecting-rod 11 from the crank 6 are attached. The pin 7 is carried by a slipper 9, sliding in an inclined guide 10, the valve-motion being reversed by changing the direction of inclination of the slipperguide by means of the crank as, acting as above described on the rod orlever .2, attached to the guide.

The mushroom-valve stems are preferably left unpacked to allow freedom of movement; but the tappet m and ends of the stems are inclosed in an air-tight casing 12, the eccentric plugt and fulcrum-shaft n being suitably packed.

It will be obvious that the invention is equally applicable to a single-acting engine, in which case only one cut-off valve is necessary.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an alternative fluid-pressure motor and compressor, the combination with the cylinder having admission and exhaust ports and the piston, of a slide-valve, reversible means for controlling the ports, a plurality of cut-oil valves controlling communication between a pressure-reservoir and the cylinder, a rocking lever adapted to alternately operate said valves, and means for shifting said rocking lever bodily toward and from said valves, substantially as described.

2. In an alternative fluid-pressure motor and compressor, the combination with the cylinder having admission and exhaust ports and the piston, of a slide-valve controlling said ports, a plurality of cut-off valves controlling admission of fiuid to the slide-valve, a rocking lever fulcrumed between said valves and adapted to operate them with means for oscillating the lever, and means for shifting the fulcrum of said lever toward and from said valves, substantially as described.

3. In an alternative fluid-pressure motor and compressor, the combination with the cylinder having admission and exhaust ports and the piston, of a slide-valve controlling said ports, a plurality of cut-off valves controlling admission of fluid to the slide-valve, a rocking lever fulcrumed between said valves and adapted to operate them with means for oscillating the lever, a plug or bush on which said leveris eccentrically fulcrumed and means for rotating said plug or bush, substantially as described.

4. In an alternative fluid-pressure motor and compressor, the combination with the cylinder and piston and pressure-reservoir, said cylinder having admission and exhaust ports, of a slide-valve controlling said ports with means for operating and reversing the same, a pair of cut-01f valves for controlling communication between the slide valves and pressure-reservoir, a trip-lever for positively operating said valves, linkage connected with the engine cross-head for actuating said triplever, a plug or bush having an eccentricallyarranged fulcrum for said lever, a lever-arm on said bush, and a controlling crank or arm connected with said lever-arm for adjusting the same, substantially as described.

5. In an alternative fluid-pressure motor and compressor, the combination with the cylinder and piston and pressure-reservoir, said cylinder having admission and exhaust ports, of a slide-valve controlling said ports with means 'for operating and reversing the same, a pair of puppet-valves seating 'under fluidpressure and controlling communication between the reservoir and the slide-valve, and having projecting valve-stems, a rocking tripleverfulcrumed between said valve-stems and having its opposite ends adapted to contact therewith, and means for moving the fulcrum of said lever in a direction lengthwise of the valve-stems, substantially as described.

6. In combination with the cylinder and piston, a slide-valve chamber having ports near the ends thereof communicating with corresponding ends of the cylinder, a puppet-valve chamber communicating with said slide-valve ICC chamber and adapted to receive pressure fluid from a suitable source, puppet-valves controlling the communication between the slide-valve chamber and the puppet-valve chamber, said valves having stems projecting through the wall of the valve-chamber, and an oscillating trip-lever adapted to cooperate with said valve-stems, substantially as described.

7. In combination with the cylinder and piston, a slide-valve chamber having ports near the ends thereof communicating with corresponding ends of the cylinder, a puppet-valve chamber communicating with said slide-valve chamber and adapted to receive pressure fluid from a suitable source, puppet-valves controlling the communication between the slide-valve chamber and the puppet-Valve chamber, said valves having stems projecting through the wall of the valve-chamber,and an oscillating trip-lever adapted to cooperate with said valve-stems, and a housing for said trip-lever, substantially as described.

8. In combination with the cylinder and piston, a slide-valve chamber having ports near the ends thereof communicating with opposite ends of the cylinder, and having exhaustports at the ends, a puppet-valve chamber adapted to be supplied with fluid under pressure and having a pair of ports communicating with the slide-valve chamber intermediate of the end ports of said cylinder, a threepart slide-valve located in the slide-valve chamber with means for operating it, a pair of puppet-valves controlling the ports in the puppet-valve chamber, and variable means for operating said puppet-valves.

9. In combination, a cylinder and piston, a

valve for immediate distribution of fluid to the cylinder, an operating slipper, an inclined guide for the slipper, connections from the slipper to said valve and to a crank on the engine-shaft, trunnions on which said in clined guide is mounted, a plurality of cutoff valves controlling the supply of motive fluid .to the slide-valve with variable means for alternately operating them, and a single operating means for varying and reversing the inclination of the guide and varying and stopping the action of the means for operating the cut-off valves, substantially as described.

10. In combination, a cylinder having a piston and a valve for immediate distribution of fluid to the cylinder, an operating-slipper, an inclined guide for the slipper, connections from the slipper to the valve and to a crank on the engine-shaft, trunnions on which said inclined guide is mounted, a lever for the guide, a controlling-crank by which the inclination of the guide may be reversed to reverse the phase of the distribution valve, means for controlling the supply of fluid to the valve comprising a plurality of variable cut-off valves, a trip-lever for operating said valves, linkage from the engine cross-head for operating the said lever, and aconnection to the trip-lever from the controlling-crank aforesaid, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK WILLIAM LANOHESTE R.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS JAMES BIGNELL, BERTRAM HARRY T. MATTHEWS. 

